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LA JOLLA, Calif. - An elite field of over 70 schools, countries and individual athletes will converge on the Triton Track and Field Stadium this weekend, as UC San Diego will play host to the annual Triton Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Triton track and field squads will square off against competitors from multiple levels in what has become one of the premiere meets in Southern California.

This weekend's competition will feature nearly 1,500 entries and more than 1,000 individual athletes. Among the schools represented will be Division I powers Wisconsin, Tennessee, UCLA, Kentucky, Stanford, Arizona State and the University of Arizona, along with several schools from around the state, including Cal Poly, San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara.

Several individual standouts are expected to be on hand, including 2008 Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Trafton and American record holder Suzy Powell, both of whom will be competing in the women's discus. The women's shot put field will feature Germany's Nadine Kleinart, who took silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, while U.S. Olympian Jessica Cosby will compete in the women's hammer throw.

The Brazilian National women's 4x100 relay team will also be on campus this weekend, with members of that group competing as individuals in the 100 and 200 meters, as well.

On the men's side, 2008 U.S. Olympian Mike Hazle will take part in the javelin, while Rutger Smith and Jarred Rome are among the competitors in the discus. Smith won a bronze medal for the Netherlands at the 2007 World Championships and Rome represented the United States at the World Championships in 2008.

Greg Rutherford, a 2008 Olympic finalist for Great Britain, will compete in the men's long jump.

Kelly Fogarty, Theresa Richards and AB Shaheen are a few athletes to watch for UCSD, as all three will have their hands full in their primary events. Fogarty, the school record holder in both the 100 and 200, will face stiff competition from a handful Brazilian Olympians, as well as a number of top Division I collegians.

Richards, who won the women's javelin at the Triton Invitational in 2010, will be competing against the likes of Germany's Esther Eisenlaurer, who enters the meet as the top seed with a throw of just over 200 feet.

Shaheen, fresh off his Lebanese national record in the hammer throw last weekend, will face several of the nation's top competitors in the event this weekend.

The Triton Invite will open on Friday at 10:00 a.m. with a handful of events, before the field events begin a full day of competition on Saturday. The throwing events will kick things off at 10:00, with jumping and track events to follow at 11:00. The full meet schedule can be accessed at the link above.

UCSD is coming off an impressive showing at the Soka Peace Invitational last weekend, where Triton student-athletes won a total of 11 events and recorded three NCAA provisional qualifying marks. This weekend's meet will be UCSD's final competition before the 2011 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships May 5-7 on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock.

Tickets for the Triton Invitational can be purchased at the entrance to the Triton Track and Field Stadium on Saturday. Tickets are $5 for general admission, while children under the age of 7 and UCSD students with a valid ID are free.

For directions to the stadium, please click here. Results for both days of the Triton Invitational will be posted here.